To celebrate the Second International tarot day an international team of specially tasked sleuths have been hot on the trail of 14 suspects from the dreamy world of Cups.

All potential culprits were chosen at random.

These detectives were able to profile many suspects but sadly, the most elusive of them used illusionary tricks to elude them.

The detectives interrogated the 3 of Cups (but it was a fail on this one), 4 of Cups byTarot and Kitties, 5 of Cups byMother Tarot, 10 of Cups (another fail), Queen of Cups by San Dee and King of Cups byAuntie Moon.

The sleuths had a list of questions to follow in order to build a forensic profile of their particular suspect.

I was given the Queen of Cups as my card to investigate. Here’s my interpretation.

Possible meaning of the Queen of Cups.The card depicts a young woman sitting on a throne at the edge of the sea. She is holding a beautiful cup with sculpted handles and a closed lid. Her hands are at the base of the cup. Because the cup has a lid I see this as introspection; a woman in tune with her inner emotions.

She is wearing a golden crown and silver robe. Her cloak is patterned blue and white like waves in the water.

She is sitting alone on a throne with carvings of mermaids and shells; another reference to water and the sea.

The sky is perfectly cloudlessly blue. The water at her feet is smooth and calm. Colourful rocks have washed up on the shore and she rests her feet on them and not in the water.

I interpreted the Queen of Cups as a woman who is nurturing, caring, compassionate and sensitive. Her face is very calm and her posture on the throne appears relaxed yet confident, showing she is emotionally secure in herself and her feelings. Being confident herself allows her to connect on an emotional level with others in an honest and warm hearted manner. She is kind, generous, empathic, and intuitive, often sensing emotions before they are vocalised. Invariably she is a good listener.

On the card she faces west to the setting sun.

Because of her caring attributes, she might be found in such professions as counsellor, psychic, or a healer of some description.

If this card shows in a reading it might represent someone you know; possibly yourself.

Numerology connection of the Queen of Cups.In researching this card I came up with the numbers 3, for creative energy; 11, representing enlightenment; and 38, which can be reduced to 11.

Element traditionally associated with the Queen of Cups.The element traditionally associated with the Queen of Cups is water, which is fluid. I believe this represents a woman who is giving and adaptable, since water will always take the path of least resistance, and can re-form itself to any circumstance. The water on the card is very calm; indicative of serenity and peacefulness. These feelings are echoed in the cloudless, perfect sky, and in her clothing and calm posture.

Astrological association.In astrology I found three correspondences; Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces; though Cancer seemed to be predominant.

Shadow side.In shadow she might have a problem with substance abuse, or be emotionally immature. She might also be delusional, co-dependent, or obsessive.

Crystals associated with the Queen of Cups.The crystal associated with this card is the emerald, popularly believed to bring loyalty and provide domestic bliss; enhance unconditional love, and promote friendship. The emerald stimulates the heart chakra, able to heal emotions as well as the physical heart. Its soothing energy embodies unity, compassion and unconditional love.

Herbs, flowers or essential oils connected to the Queen of Cups.The only herb I came across connected to this card was one called Lady’s Mantle. Alchemists once thought that the moisture in the leaves had magical properties and could be used to restore youth. The leaves of the plant taste quite bitter but can be brewed in a tea or, if they are young leaves, mixed into salads. Medicinally, Lady’s Mantle can help with menstrual cramps and relieve excessive bleeding. This information ties into the card being female and in touch with her inner and outer self.

Something I found interesting was a list of medicine totems associated with the card. They are snake, owl, and spider; creatures representing unwinding, unravelling, shedding, and shifting between worlds.

Like this:

Spread the love:

Like this:

July 8th is the International Tarot day, a day to celebrate the beauty of the Tarot without the constriction of a trademark and to recognise the Tarot as a tool of spiritual development.
A day for the Tarot community to showcase what a wonderful tool the Tarot can be to empower us in our everyday lives.

To celebrate such a grand event, the theme of the day was detective work. A forensic analysis of a card, taking clues and putting them together to understand a suspect.

With that in mind, a team of 37 International tarot “sleuths” were given a card to interrogate in order to shed light on their secrets.

They investigated suspects from the most wanted list of 22 Major villains from the Major ArcanaTarot world, and suspects from the Suit of Cups , Suit of Wands , Suit of Pentacles and Suit of Swords.

I was assigned a card from the watery world of Cups. When I saw my assignment I had a kind of “meh” reaction. How boring was my assignment, why I had to investigate such a wet blanket?
Little did I know that my perception of my suspect the 4 of Cups was totally outdated!

Armed with clues from different sources, I embarked on a journey as an enthusiastic Inspecteur Clouseau (well, I am French aren’t I). Despite my apparently boring suspect I had to interrogate, I put all the clues together to draw a forensic profile of my case!

Below is the transcript of what the 4 of Cups revealed.

Possible meaning of the mysterious 4 of Cups,

When I finally located my suspect, from the Green Witch tarot, I was presented with a red-headed young maiden, sitting in a room, lost in her thoughts, her elbows on a table with 3 silver cups in front of her. A pot of dittany sat on her table; above the young maiden, a beautiful dragonfly hovering. The young woman does not seem to notice me (with my silver cup as an offering to talk to her) or anything else around her.

I felt that the maiden was dissatisfied with something, that the excitement of whatever she had come to enjoy before was now somehow lost. Her body language is of apathy, tinged with boredom, and I felt that although she had probably achieved so much (the 3 cups on her table), she was seeking more, and was questioning her life at the moment, reassessing her direction, and wondering where her “vavavoom” had gone.

I was concerned that she did not seem to realise that more excitement and fulfilment was within her reach and that inspiration surrounds her.

Meaning of the symbolism around the maiden.

I started to look at clues around her to construct her psychological profile.

I noticed straight away the 3 silver cups. Silver is the metal associated with the Moon and I discovered later on that indeed, astrologically speaking, the Moon was heavily involved in the whole picture. Cups are also associated with the Holy Grail . I noticed that the young maiden was touching one cup, as if trying to find inspiration or deep spiritual contentment or, maybe as a reassuring gesture? The cups in front of her were not identical in size or design. It made me think that she has had fulfilment and joy before from different directions and now, life was perhaps a little less exciting or a tad uneventful.

Also why 3 cups? My feelings informed me it was possibly linked to the Mind Body and Spirit and that she had found satisfaction on all levels before coming to a low ebb.
Had she been in love before or, the centre of attention as a bride perhaps (3 of Cups), but now the honeymoon was over and routine had set in and with that a sense of ennui ma chère?

The dragonfly above her crown chakra makes me think that somehow, inspiration and transformation is within her reach and needs to fly free if only she could concentrate on the future instead of looking or relying on the past. Joy, happiness and fulfilment are not lost, they could still be found again in a different way. The dragonfly is a divine messenger (another one) trying to reach her.

I noticed that the young maiden was glancing at the pot of Dittany placed on the table. Of course Dittany is a therapeutic herb used for healing and stomach complaints, but it is also a magical herb that was made famous in Harry Potter. Love potions with Dittany have been made since antiquity. If only she could reach the plant and prepare a potion, perhaps her spirit would be ignited again, her love of adventure and excitement would be revived.

Her red hair reminds me that passionate people (red-headed people are supposed to be more passionate with a zest for life?), have more problems adjusting to quieter times than other people. The fire within needs to have ways to express itself otherwise boredom and apathy will consume them, something I felt may have happened to the young maiden.

Shadow side

I thought that although clues were great to give me an idea of what has been happening, I knew that looking at the other side of the maiden’s personality (her shadow side) could also help me bring the case together.

Karl Jung linked the shadow side to creativity, armed with that concept I figured out that if the young maiden could free herself emotionally, kicking herself in the legendary “derriere”, she could let her creative energies flow more freely. Her passion (red hair) would then reignite once again and she will be able to use her intuition once more and realise more of her dreams.

New opportunities are within her reach and there are signs around her (the dragonfly and the Dittany plant) that life has new and exciting opportunities to take. She needs to open her eyes.

If the young maiden persists and wraps herself deeper into a world of inertia, then apathy will increase and she will find herself trapped in mind body and spirit, which in turn will lead to deep sorrow, poor health (mental, physical and spiritual) which will be the realm of her cousin: the 5 of Cups.

Which way will she go?

Element traditionally associated with the 4 of Cups and astrological association.

I was determined to unravel more clues to understand better the maiden, so I turned my search to the stars (astronomy and astrology) and found some very interesting clues.

To start with, the cups are associated with the element of water.
Water takes the shape of its recipient and is fluid. The expression “going with the flow” could be a great fit for the suit of cups/water.

Like any element, water needs to be in balance, a little stream of water in the countryside is beautiful and supports life. A river bursting its banks and flooding people’s homes is a catastrophe.

In the Golden Dawn system, the 4 of Cups is Moon (High Priestess) in Cancer (the Chariot).
Now things were taking shape, the silver cups were definitively a clue that the moon was involved in the emotional tides the maiden experiences. She, as a woman is ruled by the moon, but her emotional side lies in tatters due to her inability to move on. She retreats into her shell (Cancer).

Interestingly, the Celestial tarot attributes the 4 of Cups to the constellation of the Serpens, which is divided in two parts (two sides of the Chariot?) but is treated as one constellation (blending the opposite side of the head and the tail of the serpent which in turn can be interpreted as the black and white Sphynx in the Rider Waite Smith depiction of the Chariot). So far the clues were fitting together nicely.

The 4 of Cups can be seen as the serpent or snake (which incidentally, is a great symbol of healing as found in the caduceus of Hermes, symbol of our modern medicine and pharmacy), that will heal the wounded maiden. She needs to acknowledge her feelings of boredom in order to tackle them and to move on. Stagnation is never an option, as it can lead to difficulties and hardship (her cousin the 5 of Cups).

I started to feel that the maiden had so many allies and more so within herself, her own soul!

Numerology connection of the 4 of cups.

Whilst writing my thoughts about the planets and astrology, my attention turned to the number 4, a number associated with the four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter), four elements (Water, Fire, Earth and Air), four suits of the tarot (Cups, Wands, Pentacles and Air) and four directions (North, South, East and West). It is the number for solid foundations and grounded energies.

Also, we often see someone which is not imaginative or spiritual as square (4 sides) minded or Cartesian.

We also talk of the 4 corners of the earth (despite the earth being round as we know, but try telling that to the creationists). And in French we often say “enfermé entre 4 murs” (lock between 4 walls) when someone stays for a long period of time indoors.

Cancer (The Chariot) is the ruler of the fourth house in Astrology and it is ruled by the Moon (number 2 which is linked to the High Priestess). I thought that it was déjà vu as the Moon/Cancer had been so prominent with the maiden.

The great ruler of number 4 is the Emperor, which I feel is probably the father of the maiden. As a number 4 the Emperor emphasises stability, strength, order, rigidity and control.

The Emperor has 4 children: the maiden from the watery world of cups, one departed child from the world of mental agility aka the Swords, one very grounded in his ways from the world of Pentacles, and one who is travelling and partying from the world of Wands.

Hum, perhaps the maiden’s past choices which she enjoyed were not approved of by her father leading her to feel bored and deflated? Could she feel that regardless of what she was trying to achieve it was never enough for her father, leading her to apathy, why bother? Perhaps some of her siblings were a little more exciting to be around or were they? Could it be something else?

Certainly, the constrictions of the four walls of her room (where I first met her) could create a false sense of security, giving up on what else could be out there?

I started to build an image of the maiden and her motivations in my head.

Mythology or folktales attached to 4 of Cups

Mythology or folklore is something that we sleuths can use to go deeper into archetypes in order to understand better any suspect from a tarot tribe.

I certainly thought of Aesop’s fable of the Heron, which did not want to eat what was presented to him, waiting for something more exciting and more to his taste but nothing came and he starved.

But, I knew that one particular tribe, the Mythic Tarot had a tale to tell about the 4 of Cups. And what a tale it was, the myth of Psyche and Eros.

Psyche was renowned for her beauty and this was not unnoticed by Aphrodite which after all was the goddess associated with beauty and love. Enraged, she commanded her son Eros to kill Psyche. Instead he fell in love with her and hid Psyche in a valley, visiting her only at night.

Psyche never knew who her husband was, physically (never seen him as he always visited her under the cover of darkness and disappeared at first light) or emotionally. She grew bored and asked if her sisters could visit her to alleviate her loneliness. She was warned by Eros that her sisters will try to make her discover his true identity and if she did, he would leave her forever. Psyche promised Eros that she will never try to discover his true identity.

Alas, after a few visits from her jealous sisters, she was told that her husband was a monster that will devour her and the baby she was carrying. She was told that she should kill her husband before he kills her.

Poor Psyche was credulous and she agreed to kill her husband, but when she put a lamp to see his face, she recognised the love god Eros. The legend says that a drop of scalding oil fell on Eros and woke him. When Eros realised that Psyche had broken her promise, he flew away from her.

Psyche searched for her husband everywhere, praying to the gods and goddesses until finally she went to Aphrodite in her temple. The goddess treated her cruelly and told her to perform impossible tasks. Psyche was successful in completing all of them.

Eros missed his wife and pleaded with Zeus to make Psyche immortal. Zeus gave his divine consent to this and consequently, a baby girl named Voluptas (Pleasure) was born.

The story of Psyche and Eros is an allegory for the soul troubled journey through life.

If Psyche had not been so adventurous, she would have had a charmed life but, very stagnant. For her own growth and happiness, she needed to find out who her husband was.

The maiden was probably in a similar predicament; a charmed life in the countryside with everything she could wish for but, with an ever growing feeling of boredom. As opposed to leaving all behind and finding fulfilment in other realms, away from her father (the Emperor).

After researching the myth of Psyche and Eros, I wondered if the maiden had lost a love or if the love of her life was not what she had expected or, if indeed, her life was great but something was missing? Could it be that a sense of foreboding was something she needed to tackle in order to feel alive again? Would she go to her cousin the 5 of Cups and finally let go?
So many questions and yet the answers were within her!

Crystals associated with the 4 of Cups via astrological connections (Moon in Cancer)

After diving into the myths and folklores, I decided to investigate the crystal kingdom as I had heard on the grapevine, that crystals and stones have great power to heal not only physical ailments, but emotional and spiritual ones too.

The connection with Astrology and crystals is an ancient one, and planets have specific stones attributed to them. As I discovered, Moon in Cancer is the Astrological link associated with the kingdoms of crystals, plants and herbs allies and flower essences’ realms.

The traditional semi-precious stones associated with the Moon and the sign of Cancer are the Moonstone, Aquamarine, Labradorite and Pearl. Of course I was aware that more stones were also a good match, but for now, decided to investigate only these four (in keeping with the numerology).

Moonstone is as its name indicates, is the stone dedicated to the moon that pull the tides of our oceans. It is a great stone to help with dreams and aspiration.
Go with the flow, feel the tide of emotions, acknowledge them, reflect on past emotions and move on, I will ease the transition for you…whispered the Moonstone when I held it in my hand.
What a simple but powerful message!

Aquamarine is of course linked to the sea and can be a good match for the sign of Cancer.
It helps in the release of old patterns, to go with the flow and to restore peace of mind. Soothing and calming on the mind and spirit.

Another great stone that could help the maiden in the 4 of cups, is Labradorite, with its shimmering colours, a stone to help with grounding (number 4). It can give a sense of purpose and help to develop new ideas that can be explored with enthusiasm and joy. A great stone to promote positivity and protect against negativity!

Last but not least, the pearl, coming from the depths of an oyster. Precious and born in the ocean.
Symbol of spiritual transformation, self-acceptance, it is said to lift the spirit and promote emotional calm. It can help focus the attention on goals or tasks ahead.

As I wrote notes on these four beautiful stones and wondered if the maiden could wear a necklace with any of these stones to help her lift her apathy and move forward?
Perhaps I could suggest this to her when I meet her again?

Herbs, flowers or essential oils connected to the 4 of Cups via the astrological connections (Moon in Cancer)

Since time immemorial, people have turned to the wisdom of plants and flowers to help heal emotional, spiritual and physical problems. I knew that looking in that direction would provide some remedies to the maiden’s predicament.

The realm of the Herbal Tarot associates the 4 of cups with burdock roots. It is a plant that helps people to feel grounded (which number 4 stands for), and to ease emotional turmoil. It is often used in spells to ward off negativity and restore a positive outlook in life. If one feels stuck, taking some Burdock tincture will help to remove the apathy and inaction, looking at the present time instead of dwelling on the past.

Other plant allies such Aloe Vera for emotional burn out, Chamomile for emotional upsets, lemon balm for anxiety and parsley for digestion, could help the maiden to heal and to let go of the past in order to move on and create a more exciting future.

Another direction was to look at flower essences which, like the Bach Flowers remedies are specifically for emotional and/or spiritual problems. Hornbeam seems to be the remedy that the maiden could take to ease her “Monday morning” feeling. Of course, honeysuckle could also be added to help release the past.

I thanked the plant and flowers kingdom for their wisdom and healing and wrote a note that I then put on the maiden’s table for her to realise that nature has some solutions to her temporary loss of interest in life. The maiden did not seem to notice that I had left a note on her table, telling her that help was at hand.

If she reads the note, then I am sure she will be able to think about what she can do and who knows, she will probably try a few ideas and move on.

I reported back to headquarters with my forensic profile of the maiden in the 4 of Cups. This maiden was in no way or shape capable of villainy as she was stuck in her own mind.

What a journey it has been and I was so glad that my assignment turned out to be an interesting discovery of the rich symbolism that the maiden unwittingly made me discover.

Spread the love:

Like this:

To celebrate International Tarot day (8th July 2018), let’s take a card and zoom in to find as much as we can about the card.

Your assignment if you choose to take the challenge will be to do the following:

Possible meaning of the card,Mythology or folktales attached to your assigned card (when possible),Numerology connection (when possible, as the court cards have none),Element traditionally associated with your card,Astrological association (ruler, planet etc.),Meaning of the symbolism found in the card,Shadow side,Crystals associated with the card,Herbs, flowers or essential oils connected to your card.

You don’t need to write a big essay, a few sentences will be enough evidence 😉

You may discover that once you start to write, more info will be channelled in the process and a few sentences will be more like a paragraph, it is cool too 🙂

Like this:

Spread the love:

Like this:

Here in the UK Mother’s day is celebrated in March whilst in other countries it is celebrated in May.

Regardless of the date, it is a day to celebrate and remember the woman who carried us for 9 months in her womb and gave birth to us.

But to me Mother’s day is also to celebrate the biggest mother of all…Gaia or mother Earth, our beautiful planet.

Without Gaia, there would be no life on earth, we must remember that our planet is in need of love, not only on Mother’s day but every day.

We need to nurture, protect and be compassionate to all of Gaia’s children from the plants/flowers’ kingdom, the animals’ kingdom and the environment.

If Gaia thrives, we all thrive.

It is also to celebrate all mothers….humans and animals.

Animals usually have very strong maternal instincts (most species) and humans so often interfere with the love of an animal mother and her baby.

Some of us are mothers to human children, whilst others are mothers to animals and people who are not genetically linked to them.

They all share a theme in common, the love given to another being 🙂

Inner Mother Spread

To celebrate Mother’s day, the Inner Mother spread I have created is quite fun to look at …well you guess it…your inner mother, regardless if you have children or not J

Position 1My idea of motherhoodPosition 2Shadow side of motherhood. What do I need to avoid?Position 3How can I release the energy of my inner mother?Position 4How can I tap into my creative powers?Position 5How can I nurture others around me?Position 6Which area of my life is more suited with my compassion?

Like this:

Spread the love:

Like this:

Recently I have worked with a wild animal who was seriously ill, and I simply did what I always do when healing. I have sent this animal unconditional love, no strings attached, no ifs and no buts, just love in its purest form.

Animals are very receptive to the energy of love because they have this ability to love unconditionally.

It does not matter what you look like, what you do, how rich or poor you are, your religion or background, your physical state, they will love you as you are.
Anyone with a pet will tell you that 🙂

However, unconditional love is something humans cannot display most of the time and we need to be reminded of romance once a year 😉
Traditionally, 14th February is the day for romance and love and this day is commonly known as Valentine’s day

What was intended as a beautiful day to celebrate love has been turned into a commercial circus and millions are feeling the pressure to buy some roses and chocolates together with a present and a card whilst millions of women are expecting to be wined, dined and romanced on this day.

The expectation creates tension and anxiety and competition on social media; who will share the biggest bouquet of roses or the most extravagant Valentine’s proposal, when in reality love should be celebrated everyday with little gestures of tenderness and respect to our partners, but also to people, animals and the planet.

For those who are single, seeing Valentine gifts, cards, flowers and ads is a reminder that they are not in a relationship. As Tarot readers we certainly see our fair share of people coming for a reading regarding relationships and love. The quest for love and happiness is as old as humanity.

For the newly single, Valentine ’s Day is a painful reminder of what was there before and what has now gone.

Personally I do not celebrate Valentine ’s Day, the love I have for my beloved is shown and expressed every day and has been for the last 25 years 🙂Still, regardless if you are going to celebrate Valentine’s in style or will give it a miss, it can be fun to check the pulse of your relationship by doing a reading for you and the love of your life.

Arrow of love spread

Position 1 & 4 : The past – how you met your partner, your situation at the time.Position 2 & 5: The now – what is happening between the two of you. The strength or weakness of your relationshipPosition 3 & 6 : The future – what you want to achieve with your partnerPosition 7 & 8 : Your common ground when you met, what you brought to the relationship at the beginning (positive and/or negative)Position 9 : Your relationship right now, the strenght or weakness of your relationship, what is happening at the moment around you guys.Position 10 : Your common goals for the future, what you are hoping to achieve as a couple, what steps you want to take to consolidate (or not) your relationship.Position 11 :What is likely to happen with your relationship – the outcome 🙂

And if you are single, well a little peek into the future to find out more about a potential partner could be fun to do on Valentine’s Day 🙂

Key to my heart spread

Position 1 : This card reveals if a new relationship will enter your life soon. Also this card shows your frame of mind regarding the possibility of a new romance.Position 2 : This may reveal the character of your future partner, showing their qualities or faults, their background and even their possible astrological sign!Position 3 : Compatibility between you and a new partner. Are you going to complement each other or not?Position 4 : Love or lust. In other words, will it be a long lasting relationship or more of a physical passion.Position 5 : How this new relationship will evolvePosition 6 : The outcome of the relationship. Will your true desires be fulfilled (or not).

Like this:

Recently when providing Tarot readings at a private party, the host asked me how I came to learn the Tarot as he was interested in finding out more about the skills involved.

This innocent question triggered a kind of timeline review on how I came to travel on a path of such rich and complex archetypes that is spirituality and widely known as the Tarot.

Back in the late 70’s in my native France, the only Tarot available was either the Tarot de Marseille or l’Oracle de Belline. I was fascinated by the images in the Marseille deck, so I bought a book and a Tarot deck and studied for years on my own!
Looking back, it is clear to me that my first steps into the Tarot was a tenuous journey as I had no support whatsoever to guide me, to teach me, to push my dormant abilities, it was a kind of wilderness; a lonely and difficult journey.

Today there are hundreds of Tarot decks (and for us Tarot addicts, it is heaven) and anyone can pick a deck and start doing readings and establish themselves as a reader. A few hours spent memorising keywords attributed to the cards, learning one spread or two and voila, Gypsy Rose Lee is here to tell you what your future will bring.

So, is it really important to spend hours, weeks and months even years learning the Tarot?
Is it fundamental to know the mythologies entwined with the cards, to understand astrology and numerology, to learn about the rich symbolism of the arcana? Is it really essential to practice and practice in order to help oneself and others in the process?

In other words, should one learn the Tarot? And if yes, is self-taught better than learning from a course?
If doing a course, how? Tarot workshops? E-learning? Tutor/mentor?
This is pretty much down to each individual.

Regardless, any Tarot course should be seen as learning a new language, learning the subtleties of this new language in order to be fluent and to do so, one needs time, willingness to learn, passion and practice.

A good Tarot course should also serve as a self-development course, you will acquire 78 friends who will never let you down and will guide you on your life path.
With knowledge comes power and responsibilities, both to oneself and to others 😉

Also, the financial aspect of learning the Tarot is something to take into consideration as prices range from the affordable (£39 for an online Tarot course, or £15 per lesson private tuition) to the very expensive (£250 a day for a one to one Tarot tuition or £995 for a 10 weeks (2hours a week) foundation course + £1,995 for a 10 weeks (2hours a week) advanced course by the same tutor, total for this course a whopping £2990).

But let us keep money out of the equation and rather examine the various pros and cons of learning the Tarot, self-taught versus courses.

Please note that the list of pros and cons is not exhaustive 😉

Self-Taught

PROS

CONS

*Learning at your own pace, no rush, no timetable, no pressure to go physically to a class. You can choose to learn with books, online videos, blogs etc. You can learn at a time suitable to you, day and night.

*Knowledge at a press of a button.

*If you are not focused on the task ahead, you will learn sporadically or even give up.*Also, as there are many blogs, videos and books on offer, one can feel overwhelmed and can suffer from information overload.

*You can choose to learn about some aspects of the Tarot more in-depth, such as mythology, or numerology, astrology as a standalone and then integrate them with the Tarot.

*You will need to spend time researching about the mythology and other subjects.
You may want to invest in specialised books on the subject as well, which can cost in the long haul.

*If you want to become a professional Tarot reader, you can establish yourself at any time and you can begin doing readings.

*Although you may be a professional reader after studying the cards, you may find out the trials and tribulations of being a professional reader the hard way.

*You can join the many groups online and learn as you go on your journey, at your own pace.*Some groups also concentrate on certain aspects of the cards or, have challenges to help you think outside the box J*There are often Tarot meet-ups when you can meet like-minded people and exchange readings etc… and make new friends in the process.

*Online groups can be a rich source of knowledge.*However, be aware of the Queen of Swords in some groups, the holier than thou Tarot gurus who will make you feel that your knowledge or interpretation of the cards is not to their standard!

Tarot Workshops

PROS

CONS

*Learning with a professional reader.

*This is a great way to dip your toes into the Tarot pool to see if you can make sense of the cards and learn a few things in a suitable environment.

*The standard of workshops varies from reader to reader. Be aware of workshops promising that you will learn how to read the 78 cards in a couple of hours. *Workshops are appetizers, not the main course!

*Workshops are usually fun and are a great way to meet like-minded people.
The personality of the teacher will make the experience a great one as well as a fun one!

*Sometimes in a group, you will have people with different levels of knowledge and you can feel that you are not as “good” as some others, which can create a sense of inadequacy.

*The best is to choose a workshop for your level with the Tarot (beginner, Intermediate or Advanced).

*After a workshop, you can decide if you want to push your knowledge further by embarking on a course to delve deeper into the magic of the Tarot.
If you had good vibes with your teacher, chances are they may have a course you can enrol to.

*You may have enjoyed the workshop because of the Tarot itself, but not so much the teacher. If so, look for a teacher you will feel comfortable with. Energies are a funny mix, one must be totally at ease with their teacher or mentor.

*You may decide to do a few workshops with different teachers in order to see which teacher could be the best for you.
Workshops vary in prices and locations, it is always good to try two to make up your mind.

*Workshops are easy to enrol, but you may want to draw a line on how many you want to do. There is no quick ways of learning the Tarot, practice and dedication is what is required if you want to achieve a good level with the Tarot.

Online Tarot courses

PROS

CONS

*Like with self-learning, usually you can learn at your own pace with the added bonus of having a teacher supporting you.*A good course will have a set of exercises for you to do and you will get feedback on how much progress you are making.

*Although you will have a teacher, the learning will be done on your own, following the course lessons and the structure of the course.*You will need to be organised and regular with your lessons if you want to see some progress.*Time will be the essence concerning your exercises.

*Usually you can choose your level with the Tarot and enrol on a course which will push you to the next level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, master).

*You can enrol to the right level for you, but some teachers will insist that you start from beginner to whatever levels they provide, in order to monitor your progress.

*The written lessons provided by the teacher are yours to keep forever for future reference.*So when the course is finished, you can revisit some of the lessons at your own pace.*A good rapport with your teacher will help you to fill more at ease and will help with your progress.Make sure you have detailed information about what you learn, how many lessons and how many exercises.

*Some written lessons are very basic and can be found for free online.*If a course has no exercises to do which can be monitored by a teacher, it is not worth your financial commitment (better the self-taught route).*If the modules of a course are not detailed prior to your enrolment, be aware, the chances are that the course will not be up to standard!

*Choose a reputable Tarot school or Tarot organisation or a professional Tarot teacher with experience.*Do not hesitate to ask questions before departing with your money.*Try to see if there are testimonials about the course and what other people think about it.*Make sure that the course will cover what you want to learn from it (the cards, spreads, techniques for reading the cards etc.)

*Remember that promises of learning the Tarot quickly is something to avoid.

*Sometimes, learning with a school is a bit rigid as they have their own sets of rules for learning.*Choose a bona fide Tarot organisation for learning, although saying that, sometimes it is not a guarantee of excellence!*The Tarot is very complex and you will see that we are all eternal students of the Tarot.

Tarot tuitions

PROS

CONS

*Learning in a structured and relaxed atmosphere with a reputable Tarot reader and teacher can help you to develop your skills.

*Private tuition is excellent for your skills and awareness to blossom under the watchful eye of your tutor.*On average one lesson a week is good as it gives you plenty of time to integrate the principles of the cards, time to practise, to do your exercises etc.*Lessons can be done face to face or via a webcam in the comfort of your own home

*In order to benefit from one to one private tuition or mentoring, you will need to be at ease with your tutor.*They will need to be approachable and knowledgeable about the Tarot; and patient.*If a mentor is not willing to go the extra mile for you to progress is not worth your while.*You will need to put aside time regularly for your lessons, so you will need to be organised.*The dance of the diaries might be a bit complicated if you and your teacher are very busy.

*You will be able to develop your own style of readings with the encouragement of your tutor.*You will be able to ask questions and to discuss reading techniques from simple spreads to more advanced layouts with your mentor.*Passion for the Tarot is something that can be fuelled by the right Tarot tutor.*Prior to enrolling on a course, try to have a conversation with your tutor to discuss your needs. Try to feel your tutor, are they passionate about their subject? Do they instil in you the desire to learn?

*In order to achieve a good level with the Tarot, your mentor will need to teach you the cards by encouraging your thinking process, by instilling a desire to push further your abilities, by challenging you with the cards, so you will need to be prepared for some constructive criticism.*A tutor without passion and going through the motions will be the most disheartening experience you could have with the Tarot IMHO.

*The course litterature provided by your teacher should be concise and precise with lots of information and of course, concrete examples of readings with techniques.*A set of exercises should be the norm and a good mentor will encourage you to develop your ways of thinking about the cards.*Fun is usually part of the process and we all learn better when having fun.

*If you are looking for a quick way to learn the Tarot, mentoring won’t be the right platform for you.*Usually, mentoring with the Tarot involves a deep knowledge of the cards and this knowledge is passed on from the mentor to the student. It is an organic process that takes time. J*Be aware of mentors insisting on you learning keywords by heart and not allowing you to be yourself with the Tarot. We all learn differently.

*Choose a reputable Tarot mentor/tutor as this can make your experience of learning the Tarot a good one or a more difficult one.*A good mentor/tutor usually is someone with many years of experience reading the Tarot in different environments.*Read testimonials online about your mentor/tutor and what they have to say.

*A good mentor/tutor will let you to be you during the course, and shouldn’t be rigid about your way of learning or reading.*Be aware if your mentor/tutor wants you to follow a certain set of rules and procedures about the cards and readings.
The first rule of Tarot: there is no rule!

*You can start from point of a total beginner and achieve an advanced level with a Tarot mentor/tutor.*If you know the Tarot already, you may want to learn further techniques to read the cards or, you may want to practice your skills under supervision.*A good Tarot tutor/mentor will be able to tailor lessons specific to your needs.

*Some Tarot tutors ask potential students to do their beginner tutoring and go through their modules to achieve a higher level.*Although, there maybe a financial incentive attached to this for the tutor, it is not really suitable if you have already achieved a certain level with the Tarot.

*If you want to become a professional Tarot reader, your Tarot tutor/mentor will be a great source of knowledge and experience in guiding you through the ups and downs of the profession.*That is why you should choose someone with experience and reputation.

*Some Tarot mentors/tutors see students who want to become professional as potential competitors and are reluctant to impart their experience and knowledge. If your tutor is not open to the idea of sharing their knowledge, look for someone who is more open and suitable to you.

Hopefully, after reading this blog, you will have a better understanding about the various avenues and cul de sacs towards learning the Tarot.

Something we must bear in mind, variety is the spice of life and what is suitable for one may not be for someone else.

Use your intuition, reflect on why you want to learn, what you may want to achieve (self-development, learning more about yourself via archetypes, or career change; training to the best of your abilities) and above all, have fun whilst learning, it keeps the mind young.

Like this:

Spread the love:

Like this:

This is the time of the year when we can truly look at the previous year and take account of what has happened, the trials and tribulations we endured, the blessings and joyful moments we had, the goals we reached, big and small. In other words, to integrate life’s up and downs and to look with hope in the year ahead 🙂

At the beginning of each year, traditionally, we make a list of New Year’s resolutions which most of the time will be gone by the end of January if not before.

Personally, I like to look at the year ahead and to have projects and goals I would like to achieve or more generally, a direction I would like to focus on.

With that in mind, I created this fun spread which can be used as a general spread, or for more specific areas of life such as family, love, career, spirituality, creativity etc..

Card 1 : Main lesson of last year
That which was more challenging to integrate, what you needed to focus on most of the time.

Card 2 : What I need to get rid of
What you need to let go of on the shore of 2017 and not to carry any more.

Card 3 : How to let go of what no longer serves me?
What has become a burden and practical steps to let it all go.
This card is significant as it is a little something from the universe to help you unburden yourself.

Card 4 : New Year’s gift to me
The gift/blessings/energies that the Universe (or deity you believe in) wants you to be equipped with for the new year.

Card 5 : Main focus of the year
What will be your main direction/intent for the upcoming year. Which area of life is in need of TLC.

Card 6 : What I must do this year
Here there is a sense of duty and urgency with this card. What would be the pillar for your goals/expectations to be achieved.

Card 7 : Goals to achieve this year
What would be a great focus of intention laying the foundation for the future that could spread further than 2018.

Card 8 : Advice from the universe for this year
This card is significant as it is linked with card 4, so pay attention to both to see if they complement each other or seem in opposition. If in opposition, it will mean that challenges will be keenly felt, which sometimes is needed in order to achieve.

Card 9 : Main energy of the year.
With this card you will be able to feel intuitively what the year will bring 🙂

Have fun using this spread, I did with very interesting trends in which time will tell!